1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to orthopedic surgery generally and more specifically to computer assisted hip surgery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Total hip replacement or arthroplasty operations have become increasingly common in the United States, with more than 300,000 such operations occurring annually. Many of the procedures will eventually require revision, due to one of any number of problems. Problems can arise with the implant, which can wear, degrade or even fracture. In other cases, dislocation of the replaced hip can occur, causing extreme pain (not to mention inconvenience and expense). The incidence of dislocation has remained at approximately 2-6 percent, in spite of improvements to technique and materials.
It is known that the incidence of post-surgical dislocation is related to the orientation of the hip replacement components, particularly to the angular orientation of the acetabular shell component in relation to the bony anatomy. See Lewinnek et al., “Dislocation after total hip-replacement Arthroplasties,” Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol. 60A, No. 2, PP. 217-220 (1978). The head and neck geometry of the implant is also thought to be a factor.
In spite of the published research, the typical surgeon has not adopted any sophisticated method of navigating hip replacement surgery, in spite of the availability of several techniques. The most prevalent method is to rely on an acetabular impactor tool with a handle placed at an angle predetermined so that if the handle is maintained at a level, horizontal orientation, the acetabular shell will be at a desired angle. This method fails to consider the considerable movement and variation in the patient's pelvic position during surgery; at worst it aligns the shell with the operating table (not necessarily the pelvis). More technological methods have been developed, including the sophisticated method described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,411 (and related applications) to DiGioia et al. (2001). The method of DiGioia is an advance over the prior methods (which he summarizes authoritatively in his “Background” section).
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 6,711,431 to Sarin et al. (Mar. 23, 2004, assigned to Kinamed, Inc.) describes methods, apparatus and tools for image free, computer assisted navigation of hip surgery. The methods discussed in that application involve acquisition and tracking of a patient's pelvic plane by locating certain anatomical landmarks. The disclosed methods are less complex and expensive than reliance on radiological imagery. In connection with the methods disclosed by Sarin, it would be desirable to further facilitate reliable acquisition of the patient's pelvic plane.